


The End of the Hand is Clicking Down to 12:00

by dokyun (kissthesea)



Category: BTOB
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-12-26 05:19:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/962064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissthesea/pseuds/dokyun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They don't have time, but for a while they have each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End of the Hand is Clicking Down to 12:00

**Author's Note:**

> Set in an AU inspired by the book Battle Royale. Original inspired by the lyrics to William Wei's song, "More Perfect."

Cradling his machete, Ilhoon held his breath as his watch ticked off the last few seconds until noon. He squeezed his eyes shut as if that could block out the blaring anthem, but he didn't dare cover his ears. Noon was too important, he told himself. Noon brought nothing but pain, but it brought him the tiniest bit of hope as well, and in this game, hope was everything. A twig jabbed him between the ribs, but he didn't move for fear of rustling the shrubs in which he was hiding.

"Gorgeous day today, isn't it?" the man's voice called from the speakers installed throughout the island. "Absolutely perfect weather for our little game!"

Ilhoon chewed his lip. The man's voice was always so smooth, so unhurried. It didn't matter that somewhere on the island there could be two teens fighting for their lives while he waxed poetic about the weather. The fact that the information the man provided could mean life or death for one of the few of them left didn't even cross his mind, or at least that was what the man let on.

"Let's see," the voice continued in a sleepy drawl. "Today we're going to eliminate sections D-6, B-13 and F-5. If you are in those areas, I'd suggest getting a move on, unless of course you want your head blown off." He chuckled as if tickled by the thought. Ilhoon breathed a sigh of relief. He was near none of those areas, so for now, he could stay put. The exhaustion of three days of this game was catching up to him. The gash on his leg hadn't had any time to close up and running with it was steadily becoming too painful.

For a long time, the voice over the speakers was silent. It was just enough to give Ilhoon, to give all of them sitting and hiding and waiting, time to feel vaguely hopeful. Then the man behind the voice cleared his throat and continued, "Now for the news you've all been waiting for! I will now announce the names of our recent dearly departed players..."

Ilhoon wasn't aware of how his grip tightened on his weapon.

"I am both pleased and saddened to announce that it looks like our little game won't be lasting much longer." He let out a long, dramatic sigh. "We are down to the final six contestants. In the last twenty-four hours the following students have been eliminated: Yoon Doojoon, Shin Donggeun, Lee Minhyuk, Kwon Sohyun and Yook Sungjae."

A sudden chest spasm sent Ilhoon gasping for breath as he heard Sungjae's name. Tears sprang to his eyes and ran down his cheeks and he didn't bother to wipe them away. It had been three days since he'd last seen Sungjae sprinting away from him towards the mountains. _We'll meet up when it's down to six_ , he'd insisted. _It'll be too easy for them to track us if we stay together now._ The words hadn't seemed significant then. Most of all Ilhoon remembered the comically serious look on his best friend's face. Ilhoon was supposed to be the calm and collected one, but from the moment that damned man shot Gayoon through the forehead when she'd dared to interrupt his opening speech, Ilhoon had been a total wreck. He couldn't sleep unless he passed out. He'd only come in contact with another student once, and poor Dongwoon had taken an axe to the back while he'd been distracted trying to get Ilhoon to trust him. Ilhoon hadn't seen who threw the axe; he ran before Dongwoon's eyes closed.

Now there were six left, and no Sungjae to run to. No more laughing, playing, joking, talking. Feeling so upset made no sense, not when it all was impossible now anyway. If they had gotten to meet up, even if they had somehow managed to survive, only one student could win this game. Ilhoon wasn't a hero; he could see no way out for the two of them. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

And nothing changed the fact that Ilhoon was still stuck on this stupid fucking island, fighting for his life. 

The sun was high and casting occasional beams through the thick leaves of the shrubs. In the distance came the rat-a-tat sounds of a machine gun. Those noises had started a day ago, and while they hadn't gotten any closer, they weren't moving farther away, either. His tears were still wet on his cheeks as he forced himself to focus on the names that hadn't been called.

Seo Eunkwang. He'd been first on the roll and first to leave the main building with his black bag. A possibility, though Ilhoon had a hard time imagining the goofy, kind boy letting off so many rounds.

Jeon Jiyoon. Ilhoon had seen her just yesterday, through the cover of his shrubs. Her weapon appeared to be a baseball bat, with nothing on her heavy-looking enough to be a machine gun.

Choi Gina. Another possibility if only because Ilhoon wasn't close with her at all. 

Lee Changsub. How the hell, of all people, was he still alive? 

Lim Hyunsik. Of all the remaining students, Ilhoon had to admit Hyunsik made the most sense. At least Hyunsik had the physical capabilities for carrying about such a thing. But whenever Ilhoon tried to remember Hyunsik's face, that innocently happy smile was all he could see.

It was no use. Trying to connect the people he knew from school and who they were now that they were a part of the game wasn't possible. Hell, in his life before the game Ilhoon had thought himself a tough, independent kind of person based on how well he handled himself in his video games. Now here he was, too scared and tired to move from his hiding spot.

As soon as the daily announcements were over, the island drifted back to its usual frozen silence. The rattling of the guns had died off now and Ilhoon felt the effects of his sleepless night catching up to him. Stretched out beneath the foliage, he was as safe as he could get, so he didn't stop his eyes from closing, too happy to let his reality slip away.

 

When he woke, Ilhoon was too warm. The gash on his leg ached terribly and he fought for consciousness long enough to realize he was likely feverish. The sun had shifted enough that it was comfortably dim, but one of his legs was numb and he couldn't move properly.

 _This is it, I'm dying._ Even in his head Ilhoon sounded like a whining toddler.

And then a large, warm thing shifted away from him and he realized he'd been sleeping _next to_ someone. As always, astounding survival skills. It was only when he heard the soft snoring that he accepted that he wasn't about to die. Ilhoon knew that snoring, too, and for a brief moment felt a wash of intense relief.

Followed by pure panic.

Shoving the warm body away, Ilhoon scrambled to create as much space between them as he could. Hyunsik mumbled in his sleep and groaned at Ilhoon's harsh shoves. "Ilhoon, come on, it's me..."

Ilhoon's heart was in his throat. The gash on his leg ached terribly but that didn't stop him from kicking Hyunsik square in the stomach when the boy rolled and tried to move closer. Hyunsik doubled over, his forehead actually touching the ground, as he hacked.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ilhoon snapped. He tried to get to his feet, but the throbbing in his leg made him stumble and fall.

Catching his breath took a moment, but Hyunsik finally wheezed, "Are you hurt?" He crawled over to Ilhoon and tried to see the wound. 

"The fuck do you--"

Hyunsik shot him a glare, an expression Ilhoon couldn't remember ever seeing on his old friend's face before. Then again, this game tended to change people, which was precisely why Ilhoon grabbed his machete and pointed it at Hyunsik's face, hoping like hell he looked intimidating.

Hyunsik's grip on Ilhoon's leg didn't lighten. "I'm trying to help you," Hyunsik said, slowly and not even glancing at the blade mere centimeter from his neck. "I'm your _friend_ , Ilhoon."

The machete shook in Ilhoon's hand, hovering just a moment before he finally let it fall to the ground.

 

By nightfall the fever set in, and Ilhoon faded in and out of consciousness. Hyunsik insisted on staying put, and though Ilhoon was still on edge every time his friend moved, he found that he felt automatically at ease when he reawakened to find the boy sitting not too far away. The comfort was disconnected from everything else, a remnant of their past lives which only surfaced due to Ilhoon's weakened state, but it was comfort nonetheless.

When he was delirious it was easy to drift back in time and pretend that this, the game, was the dream and not the other way around. Ilhoon watched himself run through the halls so freely it made his mouth water. Back then he never had to worry about anything more than getting caught. He spent more time skipping class than in it. The only reason he showed up at school at all was because of Sungjae and sometimes Hyunsik.

 _Hyunsik_.

Ilhoon awoke yet again and looked around, automatically seeking Hyunsik out. "Why are you here?" he croaked. His throat felt like it was cracking, but he didn't know when he was going to be this aware again, if ever. Someone could attack them an hour from now and Ilhoon would be dead. Odd how he didn't find that thought nearly as terrifying as he did the day before. Maybe this was a part of the game, too; only one of them was going to live, and Ilhoon wasn't nearly that special.

Hyunsik stirred at Ilhoon's voice and smiled drowsily. He moved just a little closer to press a canteen to Ilhoon's lips. "You need water," he murmured. Ilhoon drank, but only a little. Swallowing hurt, and the cold water moving through his system made him more aware of all the other aches and pains.

"Answer my question," he grunted once he settled back down.

Shrugging, Hyunsik leaned back against a tree. "Does it matter?"

The expression on Ilhoon's face must have said enough, because Hyunsik laughed. It was amazing to see Hyunsik laughing like that, still so carefree. Or maybe Ilhoon just imagined he was carefree. Hyunsik may have been Ilhoon's friend but that didn't mean Ilhoon understood him. "I don't know," Hyunsik finally answered. "When I left that room, the first thing I thought of was you. Not what weapon I had, not what I should do or where I should go, just you." He sighed and smiled almost shyly. "I've been looking for you, but I only found you out of pure luck. Someone was chasing me I tried to hide, but the bushes were already occupied." He smiled again and Ilhoon shivered in the chilly night air.

For a long time they sat like that. Ilhoon wanted to talk, but he had no energy, and what was there to talk about? Strategy? Who of their old friends they were going to kill next?

Silence was easier.

 

Sometime during the night Eunkwang and Jiyoon died. Neither Hyunsik nor Ilhoon heard a thing. Their names were read off the next morning as if part of an unusually short attendance roster. By now Ilhoon's fever had broken and he was able to sit up. His leg still hurt, but not nearly as bad. What they should have been discussing was where to go now, but neither of them seemed able to bring it up.

Above them, off in the hills, came the rattling sound of the machine gun.

"When you said you were being chased..."

Hyunsik took a deep breath. He even tried to smile, but that faltered as well. "It's Changsub."

A sudden pounding sound drowned out the bird's chirping and soft rustle of the leaves, and it took Ilhoon too long to figure out it was his heartbeat. He wanted to reply, but no sounds came out. Connecting those sounds to that name made his memories short-circuit, and though he could recall Changsub's face it was like Ilhoon was suddenly doubting everything he knew about him.

Changsub didn't use machine guns. Changsub slept through class and smoked pot in the library. Changsub made terribly inappropriate comments in class and even worse ones elsewhere. Ilhoon and Changsub weren't particularly close, but they'd been in the same class since middle school. That should mean Ilhoon knew him a little, right?

A scream interrupted Ilhoon's thoughts and he sank down against the ground. Hyunsik did the same, but judging from his expression Hyunsik's mind was doing something more useful than Ilhoon's. That scream was connected to another face, the only girl left alive. Somewhere out there Gina was running; they could _hear_ her running, she was so close. Gina was on the track team but this running sounded different. Running for sport and running for your life were two entirely different things. 

"We have to help her," Ilhoon said. The words didn't sound like his. His voice didn't sound right. But it was him who was rising, him who stumbled out of the brush and tried to follow the sounds. He could hear Hyunsik calling for him to come back, but Ilhoon pressed ahead. If they could save Gina, if they could just reach her--

A shot rang out. A single bang of a shot, and the trees went silent. No more running. No more screaming. Ilhoon froze, too, and turned to find Hyunsik frozen a ways behind. They were halfway up the hill now. If only there was a way for them to tell who'd fired the shot. It hadn't come from the machine gun, but who was to say Changsub hadn't gotten a hold of other weapons?

Then again, there was no guarantee Gina wouldn't shoot them on sight, same as Changsub. Ilhoon's knees went weak and Hyunsik grabbed him in time to pull him out of the clearing. Ilhoon heard the boots crunching before Hyunsik tensed up. Neither of them dared to breathe as a shadow slowly passed by their hiding spot.

Ilhoon shuddered as the sound grew faint again, heading back down the hill.

"Changsub's still alive," Hyunsik confirmed.

Taking a deep breath, Ilhoon was aware that he was holding on to Hyunsik's arm, holding on for dear life. "That leaves three."

Hyunsik was still looking off into the distance. "Yeah, three."

 

"We're going to die tomorrow, right?" Ilhoon was once again lounging against a tree. The sun was setting over the top of the hill and the entire island seemed to be cloaked in calm silence as if it were giving them a gift because it knew this game was coming to an end. Returning to their old spot had been the only choice. Somewhere up there Gina's body was lying cold and alone, and they couldn't bring themselves to stay anywhere near it.

A little ways away, Hyunsik was stretched across the ground, arms resting beneath his head, staring up at the sky through the branches. "That's no way to think."

Ilhoon laughed. The fact that Hyunsik could remain his annoyingly positive self even in this god-forsaken place was actually comforting. "My leg is slowing us down, you know."

"What of it?"

"We've been stuck in this area for days. All the sections around us are off limits, so Changsub has to be around here somewhere."

There was a light sigh as Hyunsik rolled over onto his stomach. He held his chin in his hands and smiled, but there was something distinctly unamused in his eyes. "I don't get your point."

Ilhoon managed a smile. "You should go." Hyunsik frowned, but Ilhoon knew he had to say his piece now before he lost his nerve. Just the thought of being alone again made him nauseous. "You shouldn't have stayed with me."

Already Hyunsik was shaking his head. His smile was sad as he crawled closer, but Ilhoon pulled away. The brief shadow of hurt in Hyunsik's expression made Ilhoon's heart ache, but now was not the time. From the beginning Ilhoon had known he was a goner. The only reason he'd survived this long was Hyunsik's unexpected help. The loneliness and fear he felt at the beginning of the game seemed ages ago. The past few days had been easier. People were still dying, but Ilhoon wasn't as focused on it anymore. Maybe he'd just been using Hyunsik as a means to forget the pain.

But Ilhoon wasn't about to let Hyunsik die for such a stupid reason. Not even if the way Hyunsik sat up and moved to sit besides Ilhoon under the tree, his hand finding Ilhoon's and squeezing it a little, made Ilhoon feel safer and more at peace than he had in days. 

"What the hell's the point in all this if we die alone?" Hyunsik's voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence between with razor-sharp clarity. All Ilhoon could do was blink because the answer seemed impossible. There was no point, _that_ was the point. At the same time, dying alone was also the point. 

Hyunsik read Ilhoon's expression with practiced ease. "It wasn't supposed to make sense," he continued softly. "Nothing here makes sense, but sticking together is what feels right. It's not smart or safe nor does it give us an advantage. It's the last thing those creeps out there expect us to do, and that's exactly why we're doing it." He leaned his head against Ilhoon's and sighed deeply, all of the exhaustion and loss summed up in a single breath.

The pure stubbornness of Hyunsik's words made Ilhoon roll his eyes. "You're still an idiot."

Hyunsik beamed as he brought his face so close to Ilhoon's their noses touched. "Always." 

And then they were kissing.

 

A hand covering his mouth sent Ilhoon flailing awake. Hyunsik crouched over him, a finger on his lips as he looked out through the trees. Ilhoon struggled to get his heart back under control. It took a few moments, but eventually he heard the sound; a soft, padding footstep. Crunching leaves. Gently snapping twigs. 

Hyunsik's face was pale and his eyes puffy. Ilhoon had drifted off to sleep as easily as he had any other night since Hyunsik had joined him, but clearly his friend hadn't done the same. Perhaps Hyunsik wasn't as calm as he appeared. Ilhoon used to be able to judge Hyunsik's moods even through the cheerful, smiling facade.

Nowadays he was just happy for the smile.

"We need to move," Hyunsik murmured. Ilhoon nodded and Hyunsik removed his hand almost as an afterthought. Pulling himself up without making noise was impossible with his limp, but Hyunsik didn't so much as blink at the noise. He held Ilhoon's arm in an iron grip and led him away from the bushes, deeper into the trees that climbed up the hill. If they could get to the top they'd have an advantage; if Changsub got them somewhere in the middle, not so much.

As they moved, the sounds grew louder. They weren't trying to move silently, prioritizing speed over stealth, and their pursuer made no attempt to hide that he was following, and fast.

When they were halfway up the hill, Changsub came crashing through the trees. Ilhoon's first reaction was to look away and run, but Hyunsik held him steady. He couldn't look at him, at Changsub who was raising a small handgun and pointing it directly at them. Not at Changsub who would sneak Ilhoon cigarettes if he asked even though Ilhoon pretty much ignored him. Not at Changsub who hit on every girl in class and never seemed to mind the humiliating rejection.

Come to think of it, no one had taken Changsub seriously. Not once.

"Something wrong with your leg?"

Ilhoon flinched at the voice, turning his head slowly until he could just see Changsub out of the corner of his eye. The gun wasn't pointing at them, but pointing upwards as Changsub rested his hand against his shoulder. His voice was calm, his smile was the same inscrutable mix of awkward and amused. Somewhere along the way Ilhoon had gotten it into his head that Changsub had to have gone insane. So many of them had, and if Changsub was the one who'd killed so many, there'd been no other explanation.

Except that this Changsub seemed perfectly fine. He even seemed happy to see them.

"Pairing up is against the rules," Changsub continued. 

Beside him, Hyunsik laughed. The sound made Ilhoon jump and he gaped at Hyunsik's smile. The hold on Ilhoon's arm tightened painfully, the only sign that Hyunsik wasn't as calm as he appeared. "I don't remember them saying we couldn't work together. We got a little lonely."

The smile faded from Changsub's face. "And I suppose when it got down to just the two of you, you were going to have a friendly game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who'd blow whose head off?"

Hyunsik winced. "Always so morbid," he teased.

Changsub smirked. "I prefer _realistic_."

Ilhoon's legs threatened to fall out from under him. He couldn't follow the conversation but knew it wasn't going anywhere good. Though then again, how could it? The fact that Changsub hadn't shot them both was beyond Ilhoon's comprehension.

"If you're going to kill us, just get it over with," Hyunsik said as if he could read Ilhoon's thoughts. Ilhoon swallowed and stared at Changsub. He felt something brushing along his back but didn't dare move.

Changsub clicked his tongue and swung his head pack to the ground. The bulging shapes in the bag suggested countless types of weapons, no doubt collected from those Changsub had killed. Changsub didn't go for them, choosing to stick with the small gun in his hand. "But this is awkward. Who do I shoot first?"

The gun moved too quickly and Ilhoon's knees actually buckled when he found it pointing at him. Changsub laughed out loud and shook his head. "You've done a good job of hiding, Ilhoon, I'll give you that--"

And then something happened. Hyunsik was gone from Ilhoon's side with something long and gleaming in hand. Only after it was over did he realize it was his machete, which Hyunsik had strapped to Ilhoon's back himself as they'd hurried to get ready. Changsub was about as prepared as Ilhoon for the sudden movement, and a shot rang out five seconds before Hyunsik hit him. They tumbled to the ground and blood splattered and pooled on the ground, but there was no way to tell whose blood it was.

A leg kicked Changsub's wrist and the small gun flew to the side. Hyunsik fell back and the two bodies separated. Changsub roared and clutched his side where the t-shirt was ripped open as well as the flesh underneath. Hyunsik dragged himself across the ground and there was blood on his hands, but Ilhoon couldn't tell who or where it had come from.

"Touch that bag and I'll gut you," Hyunsik said, low and quiet. Changsub froze but continued to glance at the bag behind him. He studied Hyunsik carefully and grinned. The machete was still in Hyunsik's hand, blood dripping from the end.

"You can't move."

Hyunsik returned the smile. "Care to test that?" The words were confident enough, but from where Ilhoon was sitting he could see how labored Hyunsik's breathing was. Hyunsik was making no attempts to move, and Changsub could see that, too.

Rolling his eyes, Changsub didn't bother answering the question. He turned and started rummaging through his back. Hyunsik growled and pushed himself to his feet, but all he managed was a heavy step forward. Now Ilhoon could see the problem. A bright crimson stain was growing across the front of Hyunsik's faded grey shirt. "My aim's not bad, right?" Changsub chuckled over his shoulder. Sweat beaded on Hyunsik's face from the effort of standing.

Ilhoon knew what he had to do. Changsub was too distracted with goading Hyunsik to notice Ilhoon scoot just far enough to the side to grab hold of the abandoned gun. Just as Changsub turned on Hyunsik with a new gun in hand, a shot rang out and Changsub crumpled. Hyunsik collapsed a second later. Pain shot through Ilhoon's hand from the recoil and he dropped the damned thing on the spot. 

Hyunsik was wheezing, each breath a gasp followed by a terrible wet coughing sound. Ilhoon lurched to his feet and stumbled over, his hands shaking as he lifted up Hyunsik's soaked t-shirt. Ilhoon opened his mouth to call for help, but no sound came out. 

There was no help here.

 

Hyunsik died three minutes before the daily noon announcements. He hadn't been able to speak, blood filling his pierced lung no matter how many times he coughed the stuff up. All Ilhoon could do was hold his hand and wait. Hyunsik was smiling the whole time, squeezing Ilhoon's hand tightly and occassionally wiping away the tears Ilhoon's couldn't stop.

For three minutes, Ilhoon sat alone under the trees with Hyunsik and Changsub's bodies around him. Then came the anthem, and Ilhoon, for once, felt nothing.

An exuberant laughed followed the anthem, a round of cheers that sounded computer generated. In the distance Ilhoon could hear the beating sounds of a helicopter's propeller.

Hands were on him, yanking him to his feet and leading him away from the bloody scene. There was blood on his hands and clothes but no one seemed to noticed.

"Are you ready to go home?" a voice asked, as empty as Ilhoon felt.

Ilhoon had no answer.


End file.
